What would a “reasonable person” do? Exploring the gap between experienced versus anticipated responses to sexual harassment

Abstract

Individuals who are sexually harassed often do not formally report their experience. Current understandings of this focus on the procedural barriers to reporting rather than examining whether and how reporting meets the needs of those who experience harassment. We document the repertoire of needs experienced by those who are sexually harassed and the actions they take to meet them. In two quasi-experimental studies (Ns = 415 and 589), we compared the needs and actions described by those who experience sexual harassment with those anticipated by others who have not encountered sexual harassment (Study 1 also compares across gender identities). Results of multivariate analyses of variance and general linear mixed models revealed a persistent gap between perspectives. People who have experienced sexual harassment reported a range of needs and engaged in a variety of actions to meet these needs. Safety and social support were prioritized over formal actions. Those who had not encountered sexual harassment anticipated having stronger needs and taking more actions—especially formal ones. The results encourage those who seek to support individuals who are sexually harassed to address a wider variety of needs than is typically considered.